No Bravery
by ChoCedric
Summary: It has been six months since the light side lost the war. What has happened since the horrific events? Explores a sad universe in which good does not prevail over evil.


Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

Author's Note: This was posted before, but I took it down due to the fact that the first version was extremely disturbing. Bear in mind, this one is too, but believe me, the first one was way more so, considering I was in a foul mood when I wrote it. I'd really appreciate feedback on what you think of this story. I know it doesn't really have a plot or resolution, but I hope you like it anyway. It's just a description story.

No Bravery

By: ChoCedric

It had been six months. Six torturous, agonizing months since Voldemort had killed Harry in front of the whole school, destroying the light side's last hope. Voldemort and his Death Eaters had celebrated their victory by going on massive killing sprees throughout this time. Many of the Muggle-borns were assassinated, and many other terrible things had occurred.

It was almost too cruel; Voldemort gave Harry Potter's mourners time to hold a funeral for him a few days after the final battle. Once he was buried, the true terror had begun. Only a few days later, Hogwarts was attacked again by Voldemort and his forces. Since it was June, the students were still in school, and there was nothing any of them could do to stop the attacks. Even Professor Dumbledore failed to stop any of these terrible events from happening.

Voldemort and his people had then fought a horrendous battle with the remaining members of the Order of the Phoenix and Dumbledore's Army. Hermione Granger would never forget the awful sounds of battle happening around her. She remembered the sounds of students weeping over lost boyfriends, girlfriends, brothers, sisters, and best friends. Some even cried over dead bodies of their enemies. They cried because it had to resort to this sort of fighting, this sort of cruelty, in their world. The thing that forever burned a hole into Hermione's heart was watching Ron fighting so hard against the evil and sadistic Bellatrix Lestrange. Ever since Harry had been killed, Ron had become a bitter, angry young man. But Hermione couldn't blame him; even with his moods, she stayed loyal and faithful to him.

In the end, Ron had gone down. He'd died a slow and painful death, and Hermione sat there weeping, holding his hand, promising him it would all be all right, that he'd be going to a better place, and he'd see Harry again. She'd watched as the love of her life's eyes had closed for the final time and he'd stopped breathing. Ginny was there too, and her tears for Harry had been endless. Now she was made to cry tears for Ron. She also cried tears for her father, Arthur, for he died in battle that day too, at the hands of the merciless Antonin Dolohov. This was too much, too much, all this meaningless slaughter and bloodshed.

At the end of the battle, bodies littered the ground, mostly those of the light side. Those that were left were taunted by Voldemort and his Death Eaters. Somehow, the Dark Lord had found out that Severus Snape was a spy working for Dumbledore, and he'd also found out that Snape was like a son to the old man. So he did the worst thing imaginable: killed Snape right in front of him. He held Cruciatus on Severus until he didn't even twitch. The Headmaster openly wept and begged Voldemort to stop, but the ruthless Dark Lord would do no such thing. It was the most horrific and heartwrenching sight ever. To hear Albus Dumbledore openly beg for something was not anything anyone would have expected.

After it was all over, Dumbledore held the dead Potions Master in his arms, whispering, "I'm so sorry Severus, I'm so sorry." Voldemort laughed and jeered and continued to taunt the old man, and then proceeded to set Hogwarts ablaze. He and his Death Eaters celebrated as Dumbledore burst into another round of grief-stricken tears, watching his beloved Hogwarts burn. The ancient turrets and towers were licked by flames, and soon there was nothing left of the old and beautiful castle but ash.

The Dark Lord then left with his Death Eaters, telling Dumbledore that he was purposely keeping him alive to suffer the pain of losing so much that he loved. Devastated students and what was left of the professors left the burning wreckage that day, totally lost and in despair.

Only a few survivors remained of the Order now, and they fled to Grimmauld Place, which still had the Fidelius Charm protecting it. They slumped in chairs, defeated, not knowing what to do next.

Attacks happened nonstop after that. Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade were the next to be decimated and burnt to a crisp. Screams could be heard all throughout, and Muggle neighborhoods were also victims to numerous attacks. Voldemort and his servants no longer used the Dark Mark to signal their jubilation at the destruction. To further their celebration of the defeat of Harry, they changed their symbol into a lightning bolt, laughing triumphantly as the Muggles and wizards fled the scenes of terror.

Public executions were now taking place. Remus Lupin was in the street with Tonks one day, for they absolutely had to get to the Muggle world through the Leaky Cauldron to get food for the rest of the surviving Order members. He was caught and was one of the first to be executed in this public fashion. This was because of him being a werewolf who didn't want to support Voldemort. He was murdered by silver, the most painful way for a werewolf to die. Hermione was with them. She would never forget that scene either: Tonks wailing, screaming his name, Remus trying to comfort her and tell her it was all right, that it didn't really hurt that much, although anyone could see he was lying. The Death Eaters cackled with laughter and the werewolf who bit him, Fenrir Greyback, took great pleasure in being the one to touch the silver to his skin.

After this, many people committed suicide, because they knew there was no hope left. The fun-loving twins, Fred and George, both killed themselves together, and this was very out-of-character for them. They went out in style, though; they set off an explosion that killed them both. It was very ironic, Hermione thought, they probably died laughing at the irony.

People started screaming Harry's name in the streets, openly cursing him, calling him every bad name in the book for not being their savior and defeating Voldemort. "Burn in hell, Harry Potter, for you have failed us!" people were known to yell.

A number of months later, Dumbledore's health began to fail. He was very old, and he'd lived a very long life. But Hermione truly believed that because he was so defeated, it sped up the process of his deterioration. He spent much time in bed, and on his last day of life, Hermione and Ginny were there beside him, comforting him in his last minutes. It was the most heartbreaking thing to witness: he died with tears in his eyes and a sad look on his face. But they were comforted by the fact that now he was out of this hell.

Hermione and Ginny, however, even though they felt massively defeated, kept fighting. They knew they could not let Harry's memory be dishonored, they couldn't let his sacrifice be in vain.

But as Hermione curled up in bed on yet another night, hearing the sobs of Ginny in the bed next to her, she reflected on all that had happened, and came to the miserable conclusion that there was hardly any fight left in anyone's eyes anymore. There was no bravery, only sadness.

The End

And I see no bravery,

No bravery,

In your eyes anymore,

Only sadness.

James Blunt, No Bravery


End file.
